The present invention relates to the handling of liquid materials which are to be intermixed and foamed-in-place within walls to form a thermal insulating barrier.
The placement of thermal insulating barriers by the foaming-in-place of foamable compositions is well known. For example, a foamable plastic composition is introduced in liquid form into the cavity of a wall to be insulated, such as a building wall. The liquid can be pumped through a foaming applicator into the cavity. Typically, the foamable composition comprises a mix of resin, such as ureaformaldehyde for example, and a foaming agent, which are carried in separate drums. Outlet conduits from the drums lead to a common mixing pump which mixes the liquids and flows the mixture to an applicator gun dispenser through which they are discharged into the void being insulated.
The most efficient and effective placement of insulation in this manner occurs when the resin and agent are within a specified temperature range. At temperatures outside of this range there may occur less than complete foaming, or in the case of large temperature differences, the materials may not flow properly and may be subject to rapid chemical break-down. For example, during the winter months it may be necessary to apply a blowtorch to the drums in order to heat the liquid to a temperature at which it is flowable. As a result, it has been heretofore practiced to employ materials in small amounts which can be fully dispensed before the temperature thereof rises excessively above or falls excessively below the specified temperature range. Thus, it may be necessary to replace or replenish the drums any number of times in order to complete an insulating job.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to eliminate or obviate problems of the above-discussed sort.
It is another object of the present invention to enable liquid components of foamed-in-place insulation to be carried in greater doses, thereby minimizing the frequency of replacing or replenishing such doses during a given job.
It is a further object of the invention to assure that foamed-in-place liquid insulation components are mixed under conditions which induce complete expansion of the foam.
It is an additional object of the present invention to eliminate the chances that foamed-in-place liquid components will break-down chemically during the application procedure.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a temperature control unit to which the liquid components of foamed-in-place insulation are circulated to maintain their temperatures within a prescribed range.